Eyeglass construction



Aug. 11, 1942. 6.1 .2. NERNEY I EYEGLASS CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 29, 1940 7 E. jverney ATTORLVIEY M Patented Aug. 11, 1942 EYEGLASS CONSTRUCTION George E. Nerney, Attleboro, Mass., assignor to Bay State Optical Company, Attleboro, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application February 29, 1940, Serial No. 321,373

7 Claims.

This invention relates to eyeglass construction and more in particular to a rimless mounting for supporting lenses.

One of the objects of this invention is to proand for certain details of construction and operation reference may be had to that application.

In order to set forth a more comprehensive understanding of certain features of this invenvide an eyeglass construction which will be tion, it might be here pointed out that considersimple, practical, and thoroughly durable. Anable difficulty has been experienced in rimless other object is to provide a construction of the eyeglass construction in attempting to achieve above character having a minimum of parts and a reliable and durable connection between a fitcapable of easy assembly. Another object is to ting and the lens. A large part of this difficulty provide a construction of the above character 10 results from improper fitting of the lens by the which is neat and attractive in appearance. A retailer at the time of .sale, from loosening of the further object is to provide a construction of the screw when the eyeglasses are in use, and from above character wherein the size of the nonstrains caused by twisting of the temples. These transparent parts are reduced to a minimum to factors often result in lens fracture, necessitating give a pleasing eifect. Another object is to proreplacement of the lens with the resultant exvide a construction of the above character which pense. may be readily and inexpensively manufactured As is well known, appearance is one of the parain large quantities, Another object is to provide a mount factors in eyeglass construction, and, acconstruction of the above character which will be cordingly, in rimless eyeglass construction, it is sturdy and durable under the strain of extended 0 desirable to make the nontransparent parts as use. A still further object is to provide a 0011- small and inconspicuous as possible. Difficulty struction of the above character wherein the is experienced, however, in constructing a small parts are reliably secured to the lens and to each and thus inconspicuous fitting, and, at the same other. Another object of this invention is to protime, achieving a strong and durable connection vide a construction of the above character having between the lens and the fitting. Another object a minimum of angles and crevices in which of this invention is to provide a construction of foreign material may collect, Other objects will the above character in which the above-menbe in part obvious and in part pointed out heretioned difficulties, in addition to many others, are inafter. successfully and efiiciently overcome.

This invention accordingly consists in the fea- It might here be noted that any reference heretures of construction, combinations of elements, inafter to a rearward direction refers to a direcand arrangements of parts as will be exemplified tion toward the face of the wearer, and a in the structure to be hereinafter described, and forward direction refers to a direction away the scope of the application of which will be infrom the face of the wearer. Also, a downward dicated in the following claims. direction indicates a direction downwardly to- In the accompanying drawing, in which is ward the foot of the drawing, while an upward shown one of the various possible embodiments of direction is the opposite thereof, The rear surmy invention, face of the lens denotes that surface nearest the Figure 1 is a front elevation of an eyeglass face of the wearer, and the front surface of the frame having my construction mounted thereon; lens denotes the opposite surface.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along the Referring now to the drawing in detail, there line 2 2 f Figure 1; is shown in Figure l a pair of lenses l0 and 10 Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view on an supported by a 1en$ mounting- Th i$ mounting enlarged scale of a portion of the construction, comprlses a pal! 0f ple-Supporting arms ll shown in Figure l; and and 4;l connected to lenses Band 10 by a pair of Figure 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged enfipleces M 43 and Jomed together by ale of a portion of the construction shown in budge Nose paflds and 42 are mf on nose pad arms, WhlCh serve the add1t1onal purpose of forming a part of endpieces M and 43,

Similar reference characters referto similar 60 an as will be morefuny described hereinafter parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

This invention relates to that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 322,278, filed March 5, 1940, entitled Eyeglass construction,

In the description below, particular reference will be made to the construction shown at the right of Figure 1; the construction at the left of the figure is the same, though, of course, reversed in assembly.

Endpiece fitting I4 (Figures 2 and 3) is formed by a portion of nose pad arm I5 having an end portion 22 and a pair of saddle fittings, generally indicated at I6 and I1. Saddle fittings I6 and H are preferably made from resilient sheet metal, illustratively, spring steel; saddle fitting I6 is formed with a leaf spring section I8 and an integral ear I9. Saddle fitting IT is substantially similar to saddle fitting I6, having a leaf spring section 20 and an integral ear 2|. However, leaf spring section I8 is longer than leaf spring section 20, and ears I9 and 2| extend outwardly from opposite sides of their respective spring sections. When the endpiece fitting is assembled (see Figures 2 and 4), leaf spring section I8 lies along the edge of the lens with ear I9 extending along the rear side of the lens. Leaf spring section 20 lies along the longer leaf spring section I8, and ear 2| extends along the front surface of the lens substantially in alignment with ear I9. The end 22 of nose pad arm I5 extends along ear 2| to the edge of the lens and thence rearwardly across the edge of the lens at the centers of spring portions I8 and 20. Saddle fittings I6 and H are rigidly clamped to nose pad arm I5 at the centers of their respective leaf spring portions I8 and 20 by means of a rivet 36. Rivet 36 (see Figure 3) is soldered to leaf spring portion I8 and extends through a hole 25 in leaf spring portion 20 and a hole 24 in nose pad arm I5, where it is headed over.

As best seen in Figures 2 and 3, ears I9 and 2| are provided with enlarged outer ends 26 and 21, which outer ends are cup-shaped with the periphery of the cups contacting the lens surfaces. enlargedv end of the end portion 22 of nose pad arm I5 have holes formed therein which holes, when the mounting is in place on the lens, are in alignment and receive a screw 28 which threads into the hole formed in end portion 22. When screw 28 is tightened, the peripheries of the cup-shaped ends 23 and- 21 of ears I9 and 2! are forced tightly against the surfaces of the lens to thereby clamp the lens, and, at the same time, the main portions of the resilient ears follow the curvature of the lens. When the screw is set, the center portions of cup-shaped ends 26 and 21 resiliently press away from the lens, preventing the rotation of screw 28. Thus the present construction prevents loosening .of the screw, which very often results in lens breakage. Furthermore, the lens is clamped and supported in a manner to prevent uneven tensioning by the ears on the lens; in the past, uneven tensioning has also resulted in lens breakage.

Referring now to Figure 2, the tightening of screw 28 also serves to draw the leaf springs into closer contact with their respective lens edges. To accomplish this, hole 59 in the enlarged end of ear I9 is preferably made of substantially the same diameter as screw 28. As screw 28 is tightened, hole 59 normally would tend to pass through an are having the juncture point 60 between the lens edge and the rear surface of the lens as its center. However, as the sides of hole 50 abut against screw 28, it is prevented from moving inwardly in the are as it moves toward the concave surface of the lens. Thus, as screw 28 is tightened, an outward pull toward the lens hole is exerted on the fitting through ear I9, which pulls the leaf spring into close contact with the lens edge.

As best shown in Figure 4, nose pad arm I5 These enlarged ends, lens I0, and the extends rearwardly from lens I0 and thence curves forwardly and downwardly where it supports nose pad I3. Temple-supporting arm II is soldered to the rearwardly extending portion of nose pad arm I5 rearwardly of endpiece fitting I4 so that the temple-supporting arm lies behind the edge of lens I0. Temple-supporting arm II extends upwardly from its point of connection to nose pad arm I5, and thence behind and along (see also Figure 1) the upper edge of lens I0 to connect with a temple (not shown). Bridge I2 is soldered to the upwardly extending portions of temple-supporting arms II and 4| and cooperates with the two temple-supporting arms in providing a reliable practical support for the two lenses.

It should be noted that screw 28 (see Figure 2) extends from the rear surface of lens III toward the front, so that the screw head 40, which is the part of the screw having the greatest diameter, is hidden from view when the eyeglasses are in use. Furthermore, the end of end portion 22, into which the end of screw 28 threads, is of a very small size. Thus, by extending the screw through the lens in this direction, the appearance of a rimless eyeglass construction is materially enhanced, as the size of the visible nontransparent parts are reduced. At the same time, such reduction in size does not deduct from the strength and security of the connection between the mounting and the lens.

Thus a strong and durable rimless mounting has been disclosed which fulfills the exacting requirements necessary when there is only one connection between the lens and the mounting. Furthermore, the resilient type of construction in the endpiece is particularly adapted to absorb the twisting strains transmitted to it through temple-supporting arm II. Also it should be noted that the number of crevices and angles is at a minimum in the construction disclosed hereinabove with the result that this mounting will not collect a great amount of foreign material. Thus it will be seen that I have provided a thoroughly practical and efiicient construction in which the several objects hereinabov-e referred to, as Well as many others, are successfully accomplished As manypossible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all of the material hereinabove set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a pair of lenses, a pair of temple-supporting members, a bridge connecting said temple-supporting members, a pair of arm members for connecting said temple-supporting members to said lenses, said arm members including portions extending over the front surfaces of said lenses, a pair of leaf spring members connected to each of said arm members, said leaf spring members extending along the edges of said lenses, an ear formed on each of said spring members, the ears of each pair of spring members extending over opposite surfaces of each of said lenses, and a pair of screws securing said ears and the portions of said arm members extending over the front surfaces to said lenses.

2. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a pair of lenses having a pair of lens holes formed therein, a pair of temple-supporting members,

bridge means connecting said temple-supporting members, a pair of nose guard arm members, a pair of nose guards mounted on said nose guard arm members, said nose guard arm members extending forwardly across the edges of said lenses and including portions extending over the front surfaces of said lenses, leaf spring members connected to each of said nose guard arm members and extending along the edges of said lenses, and an ear formed on each of said spring members, the ears of each pair of spring members extending over opposite surfaces of their respec tive lenses, and screws connecting each pair of ears and said arm members to their respective lenses, the heads of said screws contacting one of each pair of ears, whereby when said screws are tightened, said ears are drawn into adjusted relationship againstsaid lenses.

3. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a lens having a lens hole formed therein, an arm member extending across the edge of said lens, a temple supporting member connected to said arm member, a portion of said arm member extending over the convex portion of said lens, a pair of leaf spring members secured to the portion of said arm member adjacent said lens edge, a resilient ear formed on each of said leaf spring members, said ears extending over opposite surfaces of said lens, one of said ears being positioned between the portion of said arm extending over the convex portion of said lens and said lens, and screw means extending through said ears and said hole and threading into said arm member, the head of said screw means contacting one of said ears, whereby said ears are drawn into adjusted relationship with said lens when said screw means is tightened.

4. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a lens, a temple supporting member, a pair of leaf spring members positioned in surmounted relationship on the inner edge of said lens, a single integral ear formed on each of said leaf spring members, said ears extending over opposite surfaces of said lens, means connecting said leaf spring members to said temple supporting member, and screw means connecting said ears to said lens.

5. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a

lens, a temple supporting member, a pair of leaf spring members positioned in surmounted relationship on the inner edge of said lens, a single integral ear formed on each of said leaf spring members, said ears extending over opposite sur-' faces of said lens, means connected to said temple supporting member including portions extending across the edge of and over one surface of said lens, a screw connecting said ears and said last-mentioned means to said lens, and means connecting said springs to the portion of said last-mentioned means extending across said lens edge.

6. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a pair of lenses, a pair of arm members, a bridge, means connecting said arm members to said bridge, said arm members each including portions extending across said lens edges and over a surface of each of said lenses, a pair of leaf spring members connected to each of said arm members, said leaf spring members extending along the edges of said lenses, a single integral ear formed on each of said spring members, the ears of each pair of spring members extending over opposite surfaces of each of said lenses, and screw means securing said ears and the portions of said arm members extending over the surfaces of said lenses to said lenses.

7. In eyeglass construction, in combination, a pair of lenses, a pair of arm members, a bridge, means connecting said bridge to said arm members, said arm members each including portions extending across the inner edges of each of said lenses and across portions of the front surfaces thereof, a pair of leaf spring members positioned on the inner edges of each of said lenses, means connecting each pair of leaf spring members to the portions of said arm members extending across said lens edges, a single integral resilient ear formed on each of said leaf spring members, the ears of each pair of spring members extending over opposite surfaces of each of said lenses, and a pair of screws extending through said ears and said lenses and threading into the portions of said arm members extending over the front surfaces of said lenses.

GEORGE E, NERNEY. 

